Exhaustion Down to the Soul
by Elfwarrior96
Summary: On a journey to Rohan, Elrond disappears without a trace. For three years there is not a trace, but then a horse, similar to the one that went missing with Elrond appears. Could this mean Elrond has returned? Where was he? What happened to him? And why can't they find him when it appears they are so close? Complete with back story and more.
1. Chapter 1

_Thump... thump... thump..._

The sound of footsteps coming closer brought Beldez back to the present. For the past few hours he had been staring at nothing after arguing with another person in the cell. The argument had been pointless but a good way to get their minds of their current situation; which was mainly being prisoners to be hunted for no good reason other than for enjoyment and entertainment. This was Beldez's third time in the cell. The first two times were after hunts when he had killed those hunting him with his bare hands, after they had run his horse to death and taken away everything he had cared about. 

Before all this, Beldez had been part of the Guard of Gondor, which was charged with protecting and defending Minas Tirith. He had a family that didn't know what happened to him. He had been on a patrol, alone, and had been captured by strange men. They had taken his weapons to ship back to his family, along with a note explaining what had happened to him. The men had taken him underground, tied him up and beat him, then put him in the cell. The men that were already in there had explained that he was going to be hunted for the rest of his life, and that it would be a very short life. There had and were still three other soldiers of Gondor, and they had known of each other, so were friends very quickly. They usually sat together and talked about their families, their companies and things that they used to enjoy. 

Men that were in this cell underground; even if they managed to escape, which was seldom, barely had a chance to get their lives back to normal. To keep people in towns from offering them aid, they were branded like criminals on their necks. This kept people from helping them and also kept the men on edge, because they didn't know who would help them or who would try to drive them away or kill them. 

_Thump... thump... thump..._

The footsteps, accompanied by a faint dragging noise, could be heard coming closer. Beldez exchanged a look with the three other soldiers. Since no one had been taken out in days this could only mean that another person was unlucky enough to be captured for the hunt. 

The door swung open and three men came in, dragging another who was blindfolded, gagged, and tied up into the cell. His ears, strangely enough, were covered for some reason. The two dragging him let go and he crashed to the floor, not moving. The three guards then left the cell. Beldez and the three soldiers stayed put for a few minutes to make sure the guards were gone, then moved over to the man lying on the floor. The others in the cell stayed back, uncertain about what to do. 

"I can't believe another was captured." one of the soldiers, Cendar, said. 

Those words seemed to encourage the youngest person in the cell, Tiri, to come over. 

"Is he okay?" Tiri asked as Beldez looked him over. 

"I think so. He only has a few bruises and a small bump on the head. They must have hit him to make him pass out or to daze him. Or they did it after they drugged him with that nasty stuff they use to make sure he was unconscious. " Beldez replied, not quite able to hid the disgust in his voice. 

"Well, that's good. Should I take the blindfolded and gag off? It might keep him from panicking when he wakes up." Tiri asked. 

"Yes, that's a good idea. Cendar, could you get some water? He will most likely be thirsty when he wakes up." Beldez asked the nearest guard, who nodded and hurried off. 

All of a sudden, Tiri let out a surprised yelp. "Tiri, what is it?! Tiri? Tiri, are you okay?" Beldez asked. 

All Tiri did was stare. He had been in the process of removing the blindfold and gag and seemed to be frozen in shock. The look of surprise on his face was almost comical, but when it didn't go away after a few minutes, enough became enough. Beldez took one look at the tied up man and started to stare as well, just like everyone in the cell. For the man that was lying there was fair to look at, with raven-black hair, a fair face, and pointed ears. 

_By the gods, an elf. What in the world...? How were they able to capture an elf?_ Beldez wondered.


	2. Chapter 2

The elf shifted slightly, and the small movement shook off the paralysis faster than anyone was aware of. Everyone started talking, all very quietly so as to not alert the guards. Beldez and the two Gondorian guards started to work faster at untying the elf, who was starting to twitch as he became more aware. Unfortunately, they weren't fast enough. Before anyone could even blink, the elf had lashed out and thrown Famir against a wall, where he stayed. Beldez and the other tried to hold the elf down, which only increased the elf's struggles.

The other guard finally let go, but Beldez did not. He knew he had to calm the elf down so that the guards wouldn't come and send him back into the world of dreams for the next two days. They all needed to know why and how he had been captured, as well as where he was from and if anyone there was expecting him anytime soon. None of these things Beldez thought of as he started talking quietly to the elf in the gray tongue. All soldiers of Gondor were taught how to speak to elves in case any came to the city, but of the four, Beldez spoke it the best and the other three knew it. They also were terrified of the way that the elf was able to kick some one hard enough into a wall to make him lose consciousness.

"Shh, calm down, master elf, you are safe here. Just relax. That's it, there is no reason to fight. Just open your eyes and we will tell you everything you want to know. There you go..." as the elf's eyes began to open. They were a beautiful gray-blue, but more blue than gray at the moment. They had a slightly panicked look to them that started to go away as soon as they started focusing on their surroundings. Once they focused however, the elf immediately tried sitting up. That was a mistake as the slight concussion he had made itself apparent. His eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out, and would have crashed back to the floor if Beldez hadn't caught him and gently laid him back down on the ground.

Beldez finally looked up. "Well? Are we going to untie him or what? I don't think he will wake up any time soon. The concussion..." here he lifted an eyelid to reveal an unfocussed and slightly glazed eye, "...is not that bad, but it is bad enough that he won't wake for at least an hour. Let us untie him completely so that he will be calmer when he wakes. If the stories are true about the fair folk, then if he is tied up he will react more violently than being untied, as we just found out."

The two still-able-to-walk guards and Tiri came over and after a few minutes the elf was untied, his head pillowed with an old cloak and a tattered old blanket was placed over him to keep him warm.

_Well, we have made him as comfortable as possible._ Beldez thought as he sat near the elf's head._ Now the rest is up to him. I still can't believe that these...people... have captured an elf. Why would they want to hunt one of the fair folk? He will outlive_ _all of them probably, so why do it? And besides, the only way to end the hunt is to give up and let them kill you, or to kill them in cold blood. If the stories are true, then he doesn't have it in him to kill like that, and would rather run forever. So why do it? What do they have to gain? All this will do will cause a bunch of vengeful elves to come looking for him. I doubt they would be very forgiving after what's going to happen to him._

These questions wouldn't be answered for quite a while, for the elf was completely unconscious and wouldn't wake, not even when they forced him to drink a little water.

But maybe, just maybe, someone was helping them, by sending the elf there to be captured, so that they could be found, even though no one was thinking of that at the moment. All they were thinking of was how beautiful the elf was, as everyone in the cell had never seen one before. Tiri came over and sat beside Beldez. He, unlike everyone else, was curious and excited.

"Is that really an elf? Are all of them this beautiful? Where did he come from? Is he some kind of elven lord who is strong in magic or whatever it is they know so that we can get out of here? Is he...?" the questions were coming so fast that Beldez's head started to spin.

"Quiet, young one. We don't want to wake him just yet. As for the questions I could understand..." here Tiri blushed, "...yes that is an elf. If the stories are true, then all of them are beautiful. I don't know where he comes from, but I hope his people will start looking for him because if they do, then they will find us as well and maybe we can go back to our lives. You have never been on a hunt, young one, but trust me, you don't want to be the prey. I don't know who he is, but if the book about elves in Minas Tirith is right, then he is a Noldo elf because of the black hair." Beldez said since Tiri was looking a little confused. "Wood-elves from Greenwood the Great or Lothlorien are usually blond, silver, or red-haired. Elves from Rivendell are dark-haired, and I am not sure about the elves from the Grey Havens."

"Oh, okay, so he is from Rivendell? Does that mean we might be close to Rivendell? Maybe they can help us!" Tiri said, looking hopeful.

"No, young one, we are not close to Rivendell. You have never looked out the window, have you? Rivendell sits in a valley somewhere in the Misty Mountains. We are surrounded on all sides by a thick forest with no mountains nearby. The only mountains nearby are not the correct ones. I have seen the Misty Mountains, I know what they look like." Beldez said as he saw Tiri about to protest.

Tiri apparently had to think about that but in the end he admitted defeat. He was only nineteen years old, and had been captured on a lone hunting trip during the winter to feed his family. Since he was from Rohan, and could remember enough of the journey to know that it had lasted at least five days, everyone assumed they were near Rohan, maybe in Fangorn forest or somewhere near there. Not a lot of people had any hope of rescue, though. Many of them were taken out on hunts. If they survived the hunt by killing the hunter, mostly with their bare hands since they weren't allowed any weapons of any kind, then they were taken captive again, made healthy, then forced out on another hunt. If they lost the hunt, then they died.

Beldez looked back at the elf and realized that the hour was about up. The elf was twitching again, but this time was calmer as he seemed to realize that he was free. Slowly, blue-gray eyes opened. The elf blinked, then started looking around for something.

"Here, master elf." Beldez said as he offered the elf some water, which he surprisingly refused. "Come now, elf, you must be thirsty." Beldez offered the water again and this time, the elf drank a little bit. Apparently, his pride had gotten in the way for a minute, but in the end, cool water for his aching throat and head helped get over his battered pride and also it seemed it was just so he could start talking.

"Where am I? Who are you? What is going on? How...?" the elf asked.

"Slow down, master elf. I can't say for sure where we are, since I honestly don't know. We think we are near Rohan, but that is a very wild guess. I am Beldez, and these are my companions Tiri, Cendar, Famir, and Seros. The others don't care and I don't really know their names. As to the third question, all I can say is that... wait! Don't sit up! You might pass out again." Beldez exclaimed as the elf made a rather successful attempt to sit up. He had to hold his head in one hand for a minute, but after that he looked up and the eyes were bright, alert, and willing. They were also compassionate.

"I seem to remember hitting one of your friends the last time I woke up. Is he okay? I have some healing skills and need something to get my mind of this headache I have." the elf said with something akin to amusement in his eyes and voice when he saw Beldez and Tiri staring open-mouthed at him. Beldez finally recovered and helped Famir over to the elf, who promptly started looking him over.

"You will be fine, but your ribs are a little bruised. I am sorry I struck you, but I thought you were an enemy and panicked slightly. And your tugging on the ropes that bound me didn't help either." the elf said as soon as he was done.

"N-no apology necessary, sir." the soldier stammered and then left to go talk to his friends, who were still staring at the elf.

The elf smiled slightly and then frowned. "What were you saying, Beldez? You were about to say what is happening when I started to sit up. Please continue."

Beldez paused, looking hesitant. "Please I really must know." the elf said, looking almost ready to beg.

Beldez relented. "Very well I will tell you what is happening, if you agree to tell me who you are and where you are from afterwords. And if anyone is expecting you in the next few days in your home."

The elf looked ready to argue but then thought better and nodded.

"So, we are here because insane men want to hunt as for sport, like they did in the First Age. As to what that accomplishes, I do not know. I am, or was, a Guard of Gondor, and served in Minas Tirith. Now, I am a marked as a criminal..." moving his hair to the side to show the brand, "...and my family doesn't know what has happened to me, and I have missed most of my daughter's life. My weapon's were sent home to Minas Tirith, along with a note that explains how I was killed and that my body wasn't retrievable." Beldez then looked at the elf, and aside from sadness, there was nothing in his eyes or on his face.

Beldez then said, "Very well master elf, I have done as I said. And now you must do what I asked of you. Who are you, and were are you from? Is there anyone going to be looking for you in a few days?"

The elf now looked deeply saddened. "There is no one coming to look for me, because no one knows where I am or when I was coming back. I didn't even know for sure. As to the first question... I am Lord Elrond Peredhil of Imladris."

Beldez looked ready to faint. "B-but w-where d-did you...? How...?"

Elrond said, "That is a long story and if you will allow me I will start at the beginning, in Rivendell, and you can just listen."

All Beldez could do was nod.

So the story started, three months ago, in Rivendell...


	3. Chapter 3

_Three months ago, in Rivendell..._

"Do you have everything you need, my lord?" Glorfindel, his seneschal, asked as Elrond finished tying the last saddle bag closed.

"I believe so. And if not, I am certain I can improvise and make do. And if not, the king of Rohan is very willing. I am certain he can give us supplies we may need." Elrond replied as he straightened. In his gray forest garb, cloak, and well-made boots, he didn't look like the lord of Rivendell but more like one of its captains.

Glorfindel still wasn't impressed. "I still think that you should take Hadhafang. That sword is better than any other weapon in Rivendell. It is better than mine. You should have more protection."

Elrond raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't aware that six guards wasn't enough to ensure my safety. Since I will return by myself, there is no reason to take more. Besides, orcs will be drawn to a larger group and the king of Rohan doesn't enjoy seeing so many elves at one time. If he just sees me, it seems he starts having trouble breathing and breaking out in a sweat. I can't imagine what effect six elves will have on him. I can get a sword there as well to defend myself on the way back."

Glorfindel looked ready to argue, but relented when he saw the gleam in Elrond's eyes. That gleam said that he wasn't going to back down and that there was no point arguing. Now that Glorfindel thought about it, he had to admit his lord's logic was sound, as usual.

Elrond was going to Rohan to speak to the king about procuring some new horses for the Rivendell Guard, hopefully from the same herd where he had gotten his own horse, Urelais. The horse was black as night with a white star and one white foot, and loyal and brave, just like his master. Elrond had seen the horse when he was a half-grown colt. He had approached the colt and was able to tame him enough and stop him from literally killing a man working to train him. After that the king had given Urelais to Elrond, with the hopes that the gift would strengthen the ties between the two lands. So far, it had done so, because Urelais was one of the best horses Rohan had to offer and Elrond hoped to get more horses from the same herd he had come from. The white star on his forehead was a prefect star, with a point going in each direction and it all coming together in the center of his forehead, like a star in the night sky.

Urelais, along with the six guards that were accompanying him to Rohan, then turning around and coming back, were waiting in the courtyard below. This time of year, the lord of Rivendell became slightly melancholic as he thought about Celebrian, who had sailed to Valinor many years ago. He always became slightly testy and unwilling, so he always tried his hardest to get out of Rivendell and get over his temporary grief for a time, away from his children. With Arwen in Lothlorien and the twins killing every orc in sight, it was a good thing he was leaving. The twins would have to stay in Rivendell and help Glorfindel and Erestor, his chief advisor, run Rivendell until he returned. Erestor and Glorfindel were of the opinion that he shouldn't travel back alone, but Elrond had said he needed to be alone for the month and a half it would take to travel back. And only Urelais would see the grief that nearly consumed him when he thought of his wife, who he would not see for many long years to come. In the end he had done exactly as he pleased, but that didn't mean his closest friends agreed. His sons knew better than to speak up in public, but were of the opinion that they should go with him, something he wouldn't allow.

"I will be fine, Glorfindel. I need something like this to distract me slightly. And besides, the twins could use some knowledge of how to run Rivendell." Elrond said.

"Very well, my lord, I don't approve, but I know the reason why. We all miss the Lady of Rivendell this time of year. I will try to keep those demons you call your sons in line, but I doubt my effectiveness on that matter." Glorfindel replied, slight humor in his voice as they started making their way down to the courtyard, Elrond carrying his saddlebags in his hands.

"I have already spoken to them, and they have agreed to behave as best as they can. I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing, but they know their responsibilities and will help you as best as they can. I will return, Glorfindel, at the end of three months. If I am not back in four, then start looking for me. I should be close to home by then and might just have gotten delay." Elrond said as he started petting and loading his saddlebags onto Urelais. The horse looked like he was having the time of his life. He seemed to know that he was going home to Rohan for a little while. No one, however, ever tried to load Urelais. He was peculiar about the way the saddlebags had to be attached to the saddle and if done wrong he might lash out and kick or bite. He often just bit and kicked for the fun of it (something that annoyed the stable hands to no end) and he had this way of tossing his head and neighing in a deep throaty way that was recognizable to anyone who knew him. Elrond finished loading his bags. His sons stood a little ways away.

"I will be back in about four months. I expect Rivendell to still be standing when I come back. Do you understand?" Elrond asked as he hugged both of his sons for a moment. Deciding to ignore the gleam that came into both of their eyes, he looked at them until they lowered their heads respectfully.

"We will try our best, ada, but there are no promises. I am sure that Erestor and Glorfindel will keep us from enjoying ourselves in your absence." Elladan said with a slight smile.

Elrohir added as an afterthought, "We might try out this new prank we came up with a little while ago. It shouldn't be too messy, and we won't destroy anything... never mind. We will behave ourselves, ada." As Elrond started to glare at him, but there was a slight smile on his mouth.

"I hope you will spare Glorfindel and Erestor the horror and unenjoyment of cleaning up one of your messes." Elrond said.

Glorfindel and Erestor looked pleased at that statement.

Elrond mounted Urelais, who promptly let out some neighs and reared a bit at the prospect of finally going somewhere.

"I should be back in at least four months time. Please make sure that Rivendell stays the same during that time. I don't want to come home to a near disaster like the last time." Elrond said as he calmed Urelais with pats and a neck rub.

"Of course, ada, why would you think that we wouldn't keep everything as it is? Even though it can get boring around here, we will do our best to keep everything running smoothly." Elladan replied with a grin. Elrohir also grinned, but it looked slightly more crazed, if possible.

_'Why, oh why, did the Valar give me the most irresponsible sons ever? They may help run Rivendell, but they will still get into trouble.'_ Elrond thought as he steered Urelais over to the guards.

Glorfindel raised his hand in farewell, their argument from before their way of saying good-bye. Erestor quirked an eyebrow and followed suit. Then Elrond and the guards went out the gate and were swallowed by the forest. Little did they know they would not see him again for several years instead of months.

Elrond smiled to himself as he sat down next to the small fire he had made. The trip to Rohan had gone perfectly, with no orc attacks or anything of the like. Upon arriving in Rohan, the elven guards had returned to Rivendell, and Elrond had met with Rohan's king. The negotiations had gone well, and he was four weeks away from Rivendell at the pace he was going, which was slowly at best or not at all. They had stopped at a stream nearby to slack their thirst and now Urelais was munching on grass nearby, his tack still on. Elrond knew that should the need arise he would need to jump onto the horse as quickly as possible to get away. He was probably one of the best fighters in Middle-Earth, but he knew he was no match for a horde of orcs. He had gotten a sword from the king of Rohan, who looked slightly relieved to seem him, or Urelais, he couldn't decide which, gone. Urelais had terrorized the stables in Rohan for weeks, to his enjoyment.

_'Not anymore,'_ he thought. He slowly leaned back until his back rested on the ground and looked up at the stars. If Glorfindel had seen him now, he would never hear the end of it. His friend didn't even need a reason to lecture him about things a proper elf lord did and did not do. '_That's what makes him such a good friend_.' Elrond thought with a smile. Looking up at the stars, though, caused the smile to fade. He could still remember doing this with Celebrian, and it made his heart ache. After what the orcs had done to her, she found no joy in anything. Not in the stars, not in anything she used to enjoy, not even in her family. In the end, he had given his permission, even though it broke his heart, for her to go to Valinor and find healing. '_She would have gone anyway. She is too stubborn. Our sons didn't get their stubbornness just from me. She would have done what she wanted. She only asked you as a courtesy and to know that it would be alright to go.' _Elrond thought as tears began to fall down his cheeks. He sat up and it was only then that he noticed his danger. The reason he hadn't noticed was because the beings coming towards him weren't orcs. They were men.

_'Men? What are men doing here? What do they want?'_ Elrond asked himself as he stood up as quickly as he could. He noticed that Urelais was already in trouble; that trouble being held down to the ground and drugged, not insensible, but enough to make everything seem hazy so that he would do as he was told for a while.

Elrond started to make his way over to his horse, but before he could get even close, his feet were swept out from under him. He fell down to the ground, hard, and then the men pounced on him. They pinned him down and held a rag over his mouth and nose. He could smell sleeping herbs on the rag and tried to jerk away. He couldn't, since his hands and feet were pinned to the ground and the man holding the rag also had a grip on the back of his head so that he couldn't go anywhere. The mixture of herbs smelled familiar, but try as he might, he couldn't place it at the moment as his thoughts became jumbled, slow, and hazy. All of a sudden, Elrond's limbs started to feel heavy as well as his eyelids. He tried one more time to free himself and get the rag away from his nose, but then he was punched in the stomach which left him gasping for breath, and in the end, caused him to breath in the drugs. After one more head jerk, he went limp, but not before one more thought went through his mind._ 'I never even heard them coming.'_ Elrond thought right before consciousness left him.

The man looked down at the unconscious elf lying in front of him. It had been too easy to capture him, but the fact that he had been distracted by, from the looks of it, sadness, for the last two weeks, which made it easy to determine that he had been alone, and that there was no one coming to greet him anytime soon, made it the way it was.

"So boss, what do we do now? The horse is drugged and ready to go. Just need the word." One of his group said.

"Tie him up, blindfold and gag him. Make sure his ears are hidden. There is no reason for him to let anyone know who we are or what just happened. Make sure that no one knows that there was a struggle here. I mean it, we can't let anyone know that there was a struggle here, or that there was an elf here. If someone found out then there would be trouble." the man said, nudging the unconscious elf with his boot.

The other man looked surprised. "So he is going to be part of the hunt? I hate to break to you, but even if we take his weapons away, he still will be able to win. He is much stronger than us. He just broke three of one of the guys ribs. I don't know about you, but I don't want to deal with that."

"You idiot, he won't kill anyone. That isn't the way of the Firstborn. He would rather run forever than kill in cold blood, no matter what we do to him."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I am. Now get him tied up and lets get out of here. I don't want anyone finding us and asking questions."

The other man hurried off to do what he was told and left the other alone. '_Elves.'_ he thought. They were a race that should never had existed, but it was difficult to get them alone. He had never hunted one before and was curious to see how it would end. With luck, they could chase either the horse or him to exhaustion and then easily finish the hunt.

_'Yes, that would be nice,_ he thought,_ then we could send his body and a note explaining what happens to those who tries to tell humans what to do to his home, or a elven settlement near where we are going._'

With those thoughts in his head, he followed his men.

The first thing he became aware of was a rocking motion. The next thing he became aware of was that there was a cloth tied over his eyes, as well as over his mouth. Another thing he noticed was that his hands and feet were tied with strong rope so that he couldn't break away even if he had the strength or will to try. The next thing he became aware of were voices, even though he couldn't place them no matter how hard he tried. He then tried lifting his head but that was a mistake. One of the voices said, "Hey, boss! He is starting to wake up!"

The murmur in the background rose slightly, but quickly died as another voice said, "Well, drug him again. No need for him to regain his strength or his wits to try and break free. We have another day's ride in a three day journey, and I have no intention of being delayed."

He tried to jerk away as the rag was placed over his nose. An order to his body not to breath went unheeded as the drugs worked their way into his lungs. The punch in the stomach that left him gasping for air, and in the end caused him to breath in the drugs, didn't help him either. The last thing he was aware of was the rocking motion as he sunk back into oblivion.

The next time he started waking again, he wasn't on a horse any longer. He was in a cell, without any weapons, and there were strange men looking down at him. He lashed out uncertain what to do. Then he heard the gray tongue, soothing his fears enough to try and sit up. That was a mistake as the drugs once again took control slightly and he passed out.

The third time he awoke, he was untied, his head was pillowed and he was slightly calmer as he realized there was nothing restraining his movements.

He was given water and told a few things about what was going on, and then tried to sit up.

Which was how he got to be where he was now.

With those words the story was ended and Elrond looked at Beldez.

After getting over his speechlessness, Beldez said, "So no one knows where you are, you have four weeks before anyone even thinks to start looking for you, and even you don't know where you are?"

"That about sums it up." the elf lord said with a small grin. "The window won't tell me anything, so I have to guess as to where we might be. I was on the border somewhere between Rohan and Dunland, I believe, so there is know way to really know where I am now, since I have no recollection of the journey here, even though the men that captured me said it was a three day journey. How I stayed unconscious for that long is something I do not understand, though. The herb mixture smelled familiar, but I can't place it right at the moment. I can say with absolute certainty though that we aren't in Fangorn forest or anywhere near there, so we might be in the western reaches. I honestly don't know for sure."

"The drugs they use are strong. I think they were used in the old times to prepare wounded men for surgery or something of the like. As to the rest of what you said: Your explanation might explain why whenever I was sent on a hunt I seemed to know where I was slightly. The lands were slightly familiar and I could guess as to where I was. I never really tried to remember because I was always exhausted. These men don't stop; they don't let you rest, don't let you eat or drink except until you are ready to die almost, and you are always chased away from towns that you might recognize, or towns where the people might know you. I always trusted my horse more than anything else, though. She always knew where... are you alright, my lord? You look as though you have seen a ghost." Beldez said as he looked at the elf lord, who had gone pale and was staring at him with a look of horror in his eyes.

"My horse, by the Valar, my horse! Where is Urelais? I saw him get drugged and now I don't know where he is! Do you know Beldez?" Elrond asked, barely contained panic in his voice.

Beldez looked slightly confused but answered, "He probably is in a stable near by. Unfortunately, our horses are used for the hunt as well and are pretty much run to death. But he is safe for now, I assure you."

Elrond relaxed slightly and said, "I am slightly relieved to hear that he is unharmed for now. He is a friend and I would not want him to get hurt for something that I could have prevented. Actually, now that I think about it, I couldn't even hear those men coming to my camp. It might have been my distraction, it might have been something else, but they moved too silently to be normal. I know they aren't elves because I would have sensed them, and no elf would do such a thing like this. I didn't sense any orcs nearby so it must be men like the Rangers of the North, who are trained in stealth. But they would do no such thing, either. They are my brother's people and have great love and respect for me. I have protected their greatest secret for many years and have no intention of betraying their trust. And they would rather die than betray me and my trust. They would most likely lose their closest ally if something were to happen to me, for not all in Rivendell agree with my decision to ally myself with men, even if they are Numenoreans."

Beldez looked slightly surprised, but before he could say anything, the door opened and three guards and another, cloaked man came in.


	4. Chapter 4

The four men that came into the cell wore cloaks with the hoods pulled up to disguise their faces. All were armed. One of the men had a crossbow aimed at Elrond's chest. He looked at it, then looked away, disinterested. He had been threatened with worse over the years. He then looked at the one who seemed to be in charge. The gloom of the room made it impossible to see his features, but Elrond's keen eyes were able to tell he was from Harad. He cocked his head at the man. "You are far from home, Southron." was his only comment.

The man drew back, obviously surprised, but collected himself quickly. He then lunged forward, grabbed Elrond's neck, banging his head against the wall, then started squeezing. Elrond struggled slightly, but was dazed from hitting the wall. The man let go before Elrond's eyes rolled up into his head. Elrond collapsed against the wall and started coughing, desperately forcing air back into his lungs. Beldez and the other three were held back by the two other men who had their swords drawn. The fourth man still had his crossbow aimed at Elrond in case he decided to try anything. Beldez and the others looked like they desperately wanted to help and Beldez even started moving forward, but a headshake and glare from Elrond stopped him, most probably from the shock of a such a heated glare.

'My old captain has nothing going for him. That elf can make _me_ feel like a child.. Which I probably am in his eyes.' Beldez thought. His three companions obviously thought the same, but then turned their attention back to the spectacle unfolding before them.

The elf and leader continued to stare at each other for a long time. The leader finally looked at the man holding the crossbow and another of the men keeping Beldez and the others away from Elrond. The two men leaped at him, and even though there was a fierce struggle which ended with both men bloodied, the elf was subdued with a blow to the head that dazed him more than anything else.

"I would watch your words, half-elf." The leader snarled. "Yes, I know who you are, we followed you all the way from the edge of Rivendell all those months ago. Always close enough to watch, but far enough away that you wouldn't notice."

Beldez couldn't help but look at the elf. His eyes were once more focused, and there was a blank mask over his face. But even the un-trained eye could see his surprise, hidden deeply in his eyes.

"Yes, I know you, where you live, where your family is, _and_ how to get to them. I can easily make it possible for your daughter to suffer the same thing that happened to your wife all those years ago. What happened to her is something we learned by visiting Rivendell, as innocent traveler's, of course, and talking to those who had a bit to drink to figure out your weaknesses and the best way to get into the Golden Wood undetected. That took more work, but it was easy to figure out how to make elves open up about something like that." The leader hissed.

A sharp intake of breath was the only response to his words. But that was only so that Elrond could retain the ability to speak and therefore overcome his shock.

"Two things you should _really_ know," Elrond said, in a voice quiet with suppressed rage. "Even if you knew where she was, you could never get to her. And if, by some strange miracle you did, I would kill if you even dared tried to harm her."

"Maybe, but how would you kill me if you were the reason she left Lothlorien? How would you harm me when she could easily be harmed in the Golden Wood? We know how to get in there without the Lady of the Golden Wood or the border guards noticing. We could easily harm her or your in-laws. They would never know what hit them." the leader said with a bit of laughter in his voice.

"What proof do you have that supports your claim? Why should I believe what you say?" Elrond asked. There was nothing but barely controlled rage at having his family threatened in his voice.

"Why? Proof?" the leader snarled, going over to the door and knocking on it. A few seconds later, it was thrown open, and a woman with long, blond hair in a once-beautiful white dress was thrown in. She got to her knees and looked around. When she saw Elrond, restrained, she let out a blood-chilling wail of grief.

"Calm yourself, young one, no one will harm you if I can help it." Elrond said in Quenya. The language was strange to Beldez until he saw her fair features and pointed ears. 'Oh no, this isn't going to end well, I know it. What happened to Tiri's youngest sister is going to happen to her, I know it.' he thought with a sickening feeling in his stomach.

Elrond, underneath the confident mask he had put on to give the she-elf confidence, was despairing. The she-elf was one of the Lady Galadriel's hand-maidens, Marillossë, who was always there when her lady needed her and never, to his knowledge, left Lothlorien. If she did, he knew she was very good with knives she hid in her dress and was skilled enough to avoid capture. Which meant she had been captured _inside_ Lothlorien without anyone noticing, including Galadriel, which seemed impossible. Elrond decided to reluctantly turn his attention back to the men.

"Why did you capture her? What does this prove?" he asked.

The leader said nothing at first. A nod from him and Elrond was released. The she-elf saw this and before anyone could blink was at the half-elf's side so that she would feel safe and he could protect her. Elrond took her hand in his for a minute and squeezed, and then held it lightly.

"I thought it obvious. This is one of the Lady's hand-maidens. One that isn't far from the Lady if I'm not mistaken. I just want to show you what happens to those that defy us. Take them to the pit." the leader ordered the men. The guards from outside took the she-elf and held a knife to her throat. Elrond went quietly when he saw her threatened, but the anger he felt surrounded him like a dark, menacing cloud since he could do nothing. He would make sure that nothing caused Marillossë harm.

'Its too late.' Beldez thought. 'She was dead the second you tried to protect her.' Looking at his companions he knew they felt the same way as the door creaked shut behind the guards and elves.

Summary:

On a journey to Rohan, Elrond disappears without a trace. For three years there is not a trace, but then a horse, similar to the one that went missing with Elrond appears. Could this mean Elrond has returned? Where was he? What happened to him? And why can't they find him when it appears they are so close? Complete with back story and more.


End file.
